it's not so much what you say as how you say it

LiveJournal

2006-09-06T00:01:00.000-04:00

You may like to check out my LiveJournal. I've been having some issues with Blogger lately, so I'm going back to LiveJournal for a bit, I think. I'll also be doing stuff on MySpace. Perhaps once in a while on Blogger. But it's been irritating me lately.

GO HERE NOW!

Bayfest washout

2006-09-02T14:02:00.000-04:00

So sad.

This is Bayfest weekend in Port Rowan. It was going to be one of the biggest and best ones yet (I was talking with one of the organizers).

So far, this is what our day has been like.

With any luck, Ernesto will be long gone by tomorrow. Tomorrow afternoon is a huge parade, followed by a fabulous fireworks show in the evening.

we thank all applicants for their interest

2006-08-30T22:41:00.000-04:00

I have applied for so many jobs in the past few weeks... I can't say how many, because I really don't know. Monster.ca has made it so easy to apply for jobs that I have lost track... and the fact that I can just email my resume as an attachment has made the whole process something I don't even really think about.

One of these days (I really hope) I might even hear from one of the places I've applied to. So far, nada. Mind you, some of the competitions haven't even closed yet... but here's the thing. A resume - no matter how personalized or what have you - can't even come close to expressing what an applicant for a job is really like. They can look over all the different types of jobs I've had, but they don't know the story behind it all...

But you know, I'm not worried. God has never let me down as far as jobs go. If He intends for me to be working, He'll line me up - He always does. So I just get my applications in, and wait.

Unwise Bedtime Activity

2006-08-27T23:34:00.000-04:00

It is after 11:30 p.m. and I am sitting in bed, tapping away at my laptop, listening to music and...

Eating A Large Chunk Of Maple Sugar.

I could make a very long list of why that is a really stupid thing to be doing right before going to sleep, but I won't. I'm sure you can think of plenty on your own.

What really matters (to me, anyway) is that I had the chunk of maple sugar, and I wanted to eat it. So that is precisely what I am doing.

If you've been wondering why I haven't been posting on here quite as much, the answer is simple. I've been posting on my other blogs as well, on LiveJournal and MySpace (what's with the two-in-one word thingie?), and if you don't already know where to find me on there, I can tell you it's really not hard, once you figure out that I have the same userID no matter where I go (hint: whirligirl).

IMVU

2006-08-21T22:01:00.000-04:00

I just downloaded this 3D chat thing, IMVU, that gives you a moving 3D avatar and stuff. I haven't really tried it out yet, but I know that Jen downloaded it too... so with any luck we'll be able to get the thing up and running. I certainly don't expect it will replace MSN, but it could be fun.

If you want to check it out, it's here.

If you do get it, look me up - you know who I am - Whirligirl!

Because it's important to know

2006-08-21T06:22:00.000-04:00

If you have ever encountered a cat - any one of the cats I've ever owned, in particular - you should find this chart particularly helpful.

Mystifying

2006-08-19T23:38:00.000-04:00

I have been online now for about 2 hours tonight, if not a little longer. And in that time, not one of my usual "chatters" has been on.

I feel so alone.

Not to mention that I feel totally like I am without a life.

Quiz Time Again

2006-08-19T11:02:00.000-04:00

Your Taste in Music:

Progressive Rock: Highest Influence
80's Alternative: High Influence
80's Pop: High Influence
Classic Rock: High Influence
90's Alternative: Medium Influence

How's Your Taste in Music?

You've Changed 52% in 10 Years

You've done a good job changing with the times, but deep down, you're still the same person.
You're clothes, job, and friends may have changed some - but it hasn't changed you.

How Much Have You Changed in 10 Years?

Your Career Personality: Independent, Insightful, and Ingenious

Your Ideal Careers:

Architect
Artist
Business strategist
College professor
Computer programmer
Mathematician
Neurologist
Philosopher
Photographer
Video game developer

The Quick and Dirty Career Test

Your Celebrity Baby Name Is...

Laprincia Fuchsia

What's Your Celebrity Baby Name?

Who Should Paint You: Andy Warhol

You've got an interested edge that would be reflected in any portrait
You don't need any fancy paint techniques to stand out from the crowd!

What Artist Should Paint Your Portrait?

You Are 70% Weird

You're so weird, you think you're *totally* normal. Right?
But you wig out even the biggest of circus freaks!

How Weird Are You?

Your Love Life Secrets Are

Looking back on your life, you will have a few true loves.

You're a little scarred from your past relationships, but who isn't?

It's important to you that your lover is very attractive. You like to have someone to show off.

In fights, you are able to walk away and calm down. You are able to weather the storm.

Break-ups can be painful for you, but you never show it. You hold your head high.

Your Love Life Secrets, Revealed

Catharine looks like...

2006-08-18T15:23:00.000-04:00

I saw this on Jen's site...
I did something like this a while back. This one, you type "(your name) looks like" into a google search, and see what comes up.

This is what the name "Catharine" looks like in Japanese:. "Catharine" in Japanese characters. It is pronounced "KYASARIN".
Catharine looks like cathartic .
Catharine looks like an unmarried sister-in-law, but there is notelling.
Catharine looks like she just got a wiff of something unfavorable .
Catherine looks like a Disney princess here.
Catherine Looks Like A Terrorist.
Catherine: Looks like it's my turn to eat crow *gnaw gnaw gnaw*.
Catherine looks like she had many plastic surgery and Sara's just isn't that pretty .
Catherine looks like a cold, calculating liar certainly not a religious ...
Catherine looks like she has had a makeover. She looks great. Her teeth are so white looks different but beautiful.
Catherine looks like she's been punched in the stomach.
Catherine looks like she's resorted to self-abuse by sticking a shrimp fork into a power outlet and holding it for five seconds.
Catherine looks like Ashford.
Well, Catherine, looks like she's found the stairway to heaven.
Catherine looks like someone who has just glimpsed some unspeakable horror.
Catherine looks like she's with her grandfather.

Well, that was mildly entertaining.

things can only get better

2006-08-18T10:54:00.000-04:00

I'll have to take Howard Jones' word on that.

Yesterday after supper, Katya and Holly and I went out to the back yard, for the girls to play on the swing set. They were swinging merrily, when all of the sudden I felt a horrid burning feeling on my hand. I said "AAAA, AAAA!" (not screaming) and looked down to see a bee stinging me. Katya said, "What is it, Mommy?" I told her I just got stung by a bee - she shrieked and ran to the opposite end of the yard from me. I quickly got Holly and took her in to my mom, all the while my hand throbbing with an incredible pain. Katya was still shrieking in the back yard. I went out to get her, and finally convinced her that she could go past the swing set without getting stung. I was beginning to cry from the pain at that point. My mom helped get Katya in while I ran to the bathroom and put my hand in cold water. Mom got some baking soda which I made into a paste and put on my thumb. As the pain slowly subsided, I said to Mom, "Is Holly OK?", because I had just noticed that the side of her face was all red and swollen. Turns out she had been stung, too... I put some baking soda on her cheek and we kept a close eye on her. After a bit I put some homeopathic calendula gel on my hand and Holly's face, and it immediately took away the sting.

Dad went out and sprayed every bee, yellow jacket and wasp nest he could find in the backyard with WD-40. And the ones that he could, he took the blowtorch to them.

Then last night, around 4ish, Katya came into my room, saying that she was afraid of the dark. How she managed to walk through a dark house to get to me is beyond me... but anyway... finally I gave her a flashlight and sent her back to her room.

About a minute later she was back at my door. "I don't know what to do with the flashlight." I told her just to put it on the floor next to her bed. She was happy with that, and went back to her room.

About 5 minutes later I heard another big bump-bang sound, like the door again. But it wasn't Katya. As a matter of fact, it wasn't even the door to my room. It was the cellar door (the two most beautiful words? see Donnie Darko), which is through a small closet off my bedroom. The noise continued with a banging, scratching - and the sound of wings. "Oh crap," I thought. My cat (who spent the night indoors - the comfort of a cat curled up on the bed is almost as good as another person) was very interested in what was on the other side of the door. I went back to bed and laid there, wondering if I should go up and tell my dad, or if I should wait till morning. I decided I would go tell him, which I did. He came down to have a look (because I had been afraid to) and sure enough, it was a bat.

Eventually the noise stopped, and when Dad went to check this morning, he couldn't find the bat anywhere.

I'm at work today. And here is a word of advice: Do not go to a book store and say, "I bought a book by a woman, I think her name is Alice something, and I like to get another book by her." For Pete's sake, the least you could do is remember her last name, too.

typo

2006-08-16T22:49:00.000-04:00

anyone who knows me knows that i am generally very good about spelling and grammar and typos... seeing as i am the proofreader sort.

so when i reviewed my resume prior to placing it in an envelope this evening, you can imagine my despair at seeing a typo!

"theologial"

i think i've sent it out to three places with that error. i guess i don't have to worry about getting jobs at any of those places.

dangit.

i say it again... change is good

2006-08-15T22:56:00.000-04:00

erm... yeah. you've probably noticed by now that i've changed my blog appearance.

perhaps not drastically - but significantly.

i hope you like it. i know i do.

2006-08-11T16:36:00.000-04:00

"The Best Poems of the English Language"

Who could presume to compile such a book? Seriously... who is such an authority on these things that he truly thinks he knows what is best in terms of poetry?

For some reason, this disgusts me.

i'm back

2006-08-11T12:21:00.000-04:00

yes, yes, i know, i haven't blogged in a while. sorry. well, not really, but i'm being polite.

this past weekend i went to see anathallo at the opera house in toronto. they're fabulous! i thoroughly enjoyed their show, even though it was only half an hour long. they are sort of a combination of danielson/polyphonic spree/sufjan stevens. highly recommended.

then for a few days, Dad and I went to his old "home town" of reesor. it doesn't actually exist anymore, but i saw the traces of it. you can check it all out on my flickr site.

technorati tags: anathallo, opera house, danielson, polyphonic spree, sufjan stevens, reesor, northern ontario

i am a grownup

2006-08-03T21:43:00.000-04:00

ok, don't get me wrong - i totally appreciate everything my parents are doing for me, especially how my mom is helping me with my kids. i don't know what i'd be doing right now if it weren't for them.

but at some point, they (particularly my mom) need to realize that even though i am living with them, i am capable of making at least some decisions on my own. and just because they don't agree with them, doesn't mean they're definitely wrong.

here is a transcript (more or less) of part of a conversation i had with my mom this evening.

Mom: Why don't you hang out with guys your own age?

Me: (thinking - Well it would help if I knew some. Besides, what is my age? 10 years older than me is OK, but 10 years younger isn't? What gives? - but I say nothing)

Mom: I understand you need to have fun, but do you always have to go to Toronto?

Me: (thinking - No, I don't... but it just so happens that I am going there this weekend. - but I say nothing)

Mom: When are you going to be home?

Me: When it's done.

Mom: And the girls are going to Belleville?

Me: Yes.

Mom: So that means I'll have two sick girls to look after.

Me: (thinking - Like it's my fault? I can't help where my ex-husband takes them... and it's within reason, when you really think about it. And why are you making me defend him again? Good grief! - but I say nothing)

and that was all we said to each other for about two hours.

technorati tags: parents

i'm it.

2006-07-27T21:55:00.000-04:00

Jen tagged me.

What were you doing 10 years ago?

That was 1996 and I was 27 years old. I'd been married for two years, and was trying to get pregnant with child #1. I succeeded, but ended up losing the baby in December, just before I began my new job at the Simcoe Reformer as proofreader.

In July of '96 I probably wasn't doing much other than going to various concerts, trying to keep cool in our first owned house which we had recently purchased, and working at the Information Centre in Simcoe.

What were you doing a year ago?

Holly was 13 days old. I had very recently moved with Katya to my parents' house. I was most likely in some state of shock and just wandering around in a daze.

5 Snacks that you enjoy:

chocolate
ice cream
brownies
olives
rice crackers

5 Songs you know all the words to:

1. Tillsonburg (by Stompin' Tom)
2. a lot of Verve/Richard Ashcroft songs
3. a whole pile of Beatles songs
4. a fair number of Smiths/Morrissey songs
5. some New Order songs

... and many more!

5 Things you would do if you were a millionaire:

pay off my debts and some friends' debts, too
invest some money to pay for my kids' educations and futures
buy a house
hire a nanny
buy cars for all my friends

5 bad habits:

staying up too late
correcting grammar and spelling
music snobbery
procrastinating
avoiding housework of any kind

5 Things you like doing:

playing on the computer
playing with my kids
going to the movies
going to concerts
visiting with friends

5 Things you would never wear again:

my clothes from high school and earlier (because nothing would fit)
my wedding dress
enormous earrings
eyeshadow in a rainbow pattern
maternity clothes

5 Favorite toys:

my laptop
my camera
my new external hard drive (not really a toy)
my cell phone
Katya's Leap Pad

OK, well I'm not tagging anyone, but if you want to do the same thing on your blog, feel free, just let me know so I can read it, too.

technorati tags: quiz

qwizzz

2006-07-25T23:20:00.000-04:00

You Are A Rowan Tree

You are full of charm and cheer. You light up a room.
And while you crave attention, you do it without ego.
You are an interesting mix of contradictions - and very unpredictable.
You are both dependent and independent, calm and restless.
You are passionate, emotional, gregarious, and (at times) unforgiving.

What's Your Celtic Horoscope?

People Envy Your Compassion

You have a kind heart and an unusual empathy for all living creatures. You tend to absorb others' happiness and pain.
People envy your compassion, and more importantly, the connections it helps you build. And compassionate as you are, you feel for them.

What Do People Envy About You?

You Are 68% Happy

You are a very happy person. Generally, you feel content and that all is right with the world.
Occasionally, you have a down day - but you have the ability to pick yourself right back up.

How Happy Are You?

You Are 32% Open Minded

You aren't exactly open minded, but you have been known to occasionally change your mind.
You're tolerant enough to get along with others who are very different...
But you may be quietly judgmental of things or people you think are wrong.
You take your own values pretty seriously, and it would take a lot to change them.

How Open Minded Are You?

You Are Marcia Brady

Confident yet kind. Popular yet down to earth. You're a total dream girl.
You've got the total package - no wonder everyone's a little jealous of you.

What Brady Are You?

Your Mood Ring is Red

Excited
Energized
Adventurous
Ready to go

Mood Ring Generator

way down southern ontario...

2006-07-23T22:51:00.000-04:00

stompin' tom connors,
originally uploaded by whirligirl.

saturday evening i went out with my parents.

yes, i know... but it was actually fun. we went to tillsonburg.

no really! it was fun! we went to see stompin' tom connors - one of my all time favourite canadian icons, and one of the two 'country' singers i can tolerate (johnny cash being the other).

and naturally, it was a fabulous show. he sang the song 'tillsonburg' twice - once at the beginning and once at the end - and of course lots of other great canadian songs. he's really cool for a 70-year-old.

ok, so i'm bored. at least you'll have something to read

2006-07-21T22:47:00.000-04:00

this was on jen's blog. i felt like doing it, just because i have nothing better to do right now. well, i could sleep....

1. what curse word do you use the most? i'm sure i say 'damn' more than i should, and i have been known to use the 'f*' bomb occasionally

2. do you own an ipod? an ipod shuffle, yes.

3. what time is your alarm clock set for? it isn't. holly usually wakes up sometime between 6 and 6:30 - she is my alarm clock

4. how many suitcases do you own? i don't think i actually own a suitcase at this point. i have some 'weekenders' bags though.

5. do you wear flip flops when it's cold? yes

6. would you rather take the picture or be in the picture? i usually take the picture, but i'd like to be in more pictures than i am.

7. what was the last movie you watched? the devil wears prada

8. do any of your friends have children? yes

9. has anyone ever called you lazy? probably

10. do you ever take medication to help you fall asleep? does wine count?

11. what cd is currently in your cd player? my itunes is on shuffle on my computer... i don't have a cd player. well, other than the one in my car. i think it's katya's praise and worship cd in there.

12. do you prefer regular or chocolate milk? chocolate. i don't drink cow's milk. i drink soy milk. according to katya, soy milk is 'real milk' and cow's milk is the stuff other people drink for some reason.

13. has anyone told you a secret this week? no

14. when was the last time you had starbucks? i have never had starbucks. that is about the only thing i am unreasonably proud of.

15. can you whistle? yeah, more or less

16. who was the last person you talked to on the phone? other than customers at the store, probably mark.

17. do you think people talk about you behind your back? oh no doubt.

18. did you watch cartoons as a child? pink panther, looney toons, simon in the land of chalk drawings... those are the only ones i remember right now

19. are you shy around the opposite sex? occasionally. it depends on the situation.

20. what movie do you know every line to? i know most of monty python's holy grail.

21. do you own any band t-shirts? oh goodness, far too many.

22. what is your favorite salad dressing? raspberry vinaigrette.

23. is anyone in love with you? i don't think so.

24. do you do your own dishes? no.

25. are you on a desktop computer or a laptop? laptop

26. do you currently want any piercings or tattoos? i have enough now.

27. what's the weather like? sometimes hot, sometimes cold, sometimes wet, sometimes dry... do you mean right now?

28. would you ever date someone covered in tattoos? not covered in them.

29. what did you do before this? got ready for bed.

30. how many hours of sleep do you need to function? probably at least 9 hours. but i make do.

31. do you eat breakfast every morning? except the occasional sunday.

32. are your days full and fast paced? full and moderately paced.

33. do you pay attention to the calories on the packages? i usually read them, but it doesn't usually make that much of a difference.

34. do you use sarcasm? probably too much.

35. are you fussy about spelling and grammar? oh please! i'm laughing so hard... is fussy a strong enough word?

36. have you ever been to six flags? yes

37. do you like mustard? yes

38. do you sleep on your side, stomach or back? yes

39. do you watch the news? maybe once a week

40. one of your scars: how did you get it? car accident

41. who was the last person to make you upset? katya

42. do you like anybody? you mean 'like' like, or just like? sure.

43. why did you do this survey? because i'm tired of playing solitaire, mah jong, roof rats and free online slots. and there's nobody on msn to chat with me.

ok, your assignment is to complete this same survey. link me to your answers!

monday

2006-07-17T11:38:00.000-04:00

yesterday i found out that my sweet job is only lasting till september. so i have to find something else...

the store across the street recently changed owners, so this morning i went to talk to the owners about getting a job there. it's sounding somewhat promising. while i was talking to the woman, she seemed a bit concerned about how much experience i've had, etc., and after telling her all the sorts of jobs i've held, i paused for a moment, and said to her, 'i'm older than i look.'
she said, 'oh?'
i said, 'yeah, i'm 37.'
she said, 'wow, you are a lot older than you look.'

:-)

this made me feel very good, especially when you consider that yesterday when i said that i stopped getting older when i was 32, katya said, 'but you're not 32, you're 37.'
i said, 'i know, honey, but i feel like i'm 32.'
she replied, 'you don't feel 32 to me. you're 37.'

i love my daughters. really.

happy holly day!

2006-07-16T22:02:00.000-04:00

my sweet baby holly turned one this week. and what did i discover? she loves cake!

on her actual birthday-day we just had a very low-key party for gramma, grampa, sister and mom. both holly and katya have colds (or possibly allergies) right now, so neither of them is feeling absolutely terrific... but they both love to party, so it was lots of fun.

today was mom's day to celebrate... my mom & dad helped me have a nice little party for holly with some of my closest friends. it was really great - nothing big, but it felt really good to have my friends come over and celebrate with me. and holly had a fabulous time! when we all sang happy birthday to her, she spread out her arms like she was a queen - she totally knew that it was all about her! she had so much fun - and so did i.

to my friends who made this day so special for holly and for me - thank you so much; you have no idea how much it means to me. i love each one of you.

poor baby

2006-07-11T22:43:00.000-04:00

my little holly, just two days shy of her first birthday, has a very nasty summer cold. she's congested and sneezy, and every time she sneezes it's like a small explosion of snot...poor little thing. she's feeling miserable and having an awful time sleeping tonight, but she's trying so hard to be in a good mood.

i love my kids.

katya, possibly understanding that mommy had her hands full looking after holly, was an absolute angel all evening. she ate all her supper and cleaned up her dishes, put on her nighty with no complaints, and brushed her teeth without even being asked. she played nicely with her sister and was simply a dream.

i am so blessed.

technorati tags: cold, sick

you never know

2006-07-08T11:59:00.000-04:00

here is a story about positive thinking... or something.
maybe it's more 'something'.
regardless, it's a neat story.

irish

2006-07-04T22:23:00.000-04:00

one of the cool things about my job is that i have 'regulars', people who like to stop in just to say hi, or chat a bit. one of these regulars is a retired high school tech teacher. he's 66 and is originally from belfast, ireland. i love this guy, and always look forward to visits from him.

he stopped in today, and one of his first statements to me was "i'm going boho!" he's so excited - he's letting his hair grow and wearing a t-shirt and sandals, and a shell necklace. he said he's retired and now he's going to live like it.

the best part about his visit today, though, was that he reminisced a bit about growing up in belfast. he told me about one of the games kids used to play there, which consisted of tying a rope onto a lamppost and swinging on it. he had a really detailed story about one particular occasion, and it was so cool to be a part of that remembrance.

it was a good day.

technorati tags: ireland, belfast, lamppost swing

incensed

2006-07-03T23:28:00.000-04:00

i love incense. i have always loved incense.

when i was about 6 or 7 (around 1975) i remember my brother (who is six years older than i) had a small box of incense cones. there were four scents - orchid, jasmine, sandalwood and musk. the box was green and had that '70s style of artwork on it, swoopy flowers or something like that. sometimes my brother would let me burn a cone. the only drawback was that our mom was allergic to incense - or at least that's what she said.

through university i often burned incense - usually sticks. chinatown was a good place to buy it.

after university, i lived in the basement of a house owned by some east indian people. the apartment smelled of mothballs. the lady upstairs gave me some incense to burn, "it will purify the air," she told me. when she went to get me the incense, she went to a room to which the door was closed. before she went in, she kneeled on the floor and put a covering over her head. when she went into the room, it was on her knees. she brought me some incense from that room. i believe it was very special incense - and it was truly the loveliest incense i have ever smelled. she also gave me a very nice silver incense holder.

so here i am now, living in my parents' basement. my room is pretty much separate from the rest of the house, so i have taken the liberty of once again burning incense.

i'm such a rebel.

technorati tags: incense

the church

2006-06-30T16:03:00.000-04:00

all these books, like the da vinci code and angels and demons, as well as the jesus papers and holy blood and the holy grail... all those type of books that are saying that "the church" has been hiding stuff from the world...

they all assume that the catholic church is THE church. nothing is ever mentioned about protestant teachings.

i find that very irritating.

small town vs. big band

2006-06-29T23:00:00.000-04:00

the polyphonic spree never (or almost never) comes to canada... let alone ontario...

i imagine the logistics would be terrifying.

i would really, really like to see them some time.

technorati tags: the polyphonic spree

late nights

2006-06-27T23:18:00.000-04:00

not too long ago i moved out of my bedroom with holly, and i now have my own bedroom in the basement. this is nice because i can use my laptop in bed. the problem is it is conducive to staying up too late. oh well.

i love flickr. you may have noticed the addition to my introduction page: the photo strip from flickr. i hope you've clicked on that, and that it successfully brought you to my flickr site, where you can see a bunch of my pictures. they're not arty or anything, they're basically snapshots - although i occasionally try to slip in one or two shots with some artistic merit. regardless, i think my girls are adorable. and katya is a very talented photographer already.

speaking of katya, today was her last day of kindergarten. when she goes back to school, she'll be going every day as a grade 1 student! when she came off the bus today, she ran to the house yelling "whoooppeeeee!!!! i'm done!!!" it was so cute. she did very very well on her report card, excelling in all subject areas, and reading well above her grade level expectations.

dad and i were working on building a pavilion in our side yard. we're pretty much done all we're doing on it this summer, seeing as his budget ran out. but it's quite nice! i'm impressed, anyway, particularly that we got it done as quickly as we did.

one problem, though, is that my hands have really started to hurt. at first i thought it was from hammering and stuff like that, using muscles i don't normally use. but i'm beginning to think it's either repetitive strain (from typing on my computer all the time), or arthritis. neither of which i'm particularly fond. i am aging, though... i'll have to face it at one point, or else my 3rd birthday from now will be a terrible shock.

technorati tags: bedroom, laptop, flickr, photo, kindergarten, last day of school, report card, pavilion, building, arthritis, aging, repetitive strain

seen while driving

2006-06-21T23:05:00.000-04:00

(1) there are always birds flying across the road, which is really irritating. but they always seem to get out of the way before you hit them. well today, one was a bit slow on the getaway, and she slammed into my windshield. sorry birdie.

(2) in the area where i live, wild turkeys are native. about 20 years ago they were getting very scarce, so they reintroduced them to the woods locally. there is one backroad that i travel at least once a week, and i frequently see wild turkeys on this road. well today, i saw a couple of them rushing across, but some little grey blobs rushing along with them. as i drove closer (and stopped), i saw that the little grey blobs were actually baby wild turkeys. and they were cute!!! i didn't hit any of them.

(3) rain always brings out the frogs. the little guys hop across the road for all they're worth, and yet it seems i always hit a bunch. sorry froggies.

(4) God puts on the most amazing light show. lightning is far more beautiful than any fireworks i have ever seen. and God put on a spectacular show tonight. sheet lightning, fork lightning, cloud to cloud and cloud to ground (or ground to cloud, depending on what you want to call it). love it.

care group

2006-06-16T21:31:00.000-04:00

i go to a care group at church, for people who are going through separation and divorce. we offer each other support and encouragement, and truly care about each other. we meet once a week, and although we are all very different from each other, we have a bond of broken relationships. it's kind of bizarre, but very neat.

every member is hurting. each individual hurts in a different way and to a different degree, but the pain is all valid and real. the purpose of the care group is to support each other and help each other understand how our relationship with Jesus Christ can help us through the difficult situation, and beyond.

this week's session was about forgiveness - how important it is to forgive our spouse, and any other person involved in the breakup. our group discussion, however, centred on how important it is to forgive ourselves. one member was having a very serious struggle with forgiving himself. he was angry at himself and at most people he encountered in life. he had a very low self-image. all of us in the group tried to explain to him that although it is difficult, we have to at least attempt to begin to forgive ourselves for all the things we've done wrong.

when he left the session on wednesday, he didn't speak to anyone. i had a really bad feeling about it. i prayed for him on the way home.

today i got a phone call from one of our group leaders. the fellow had been in a severe motorcycle accident, and died.

just two days ago we were telling him how we all cared about him, and that we love him and God loves him. we were trying to help him see that there is hope for his situation. now he is dead.

i can't begin to say how i feel about this. devastated? confused? angry? frustrated? sad. definitely sad.

technorati tags: motorcycle, death, divorce, separation, forgiveness

ow

2006-06-15T15:02:00.000-04:00

you know those packing tape dispensers... the handle thing that you put the big roll of packing tape on? well i was just taping together some flattened cardboard boxes to put out for recycling, and the dispenser slipped while i was cutting off the tape, and the cutter hit my foot just under the ankle bone.

it really hurts.

now it looks like i have 15 little bloody toothmarks on my ankle.

technorati tags: packing_tape

da vinci code

2006-06-11T22:40:00.000-04:00

went to see the da vinci code with a couple of friends today.

it was good. yes, it deviated from the book in quite a few spots... in some areas it was not an improvement, but in other areas it was. i liked the way they modified the robert langdon character to be more moderate in his 'anti-Jesus' beliefs; that they emphasized that it's what you believe personally that's important.

just as i recommended the book, i also recommend the movie. i think critics were too harsh on it. yeah, it's long... but it doesn't feel that long. and tom hanks is very believable. it's also very cool to actually see the art work and the architecture that is in the book. makes it easier to follow.

i also recommend dan brown's other books. i've read angels & demons, and deception point. there's a fourth book which i have yet to get my hands on. but he is a very good writer.

i'm glad i saw the movie. i think i'm going to take my dad to see it for father's day.

technorati tags: davinci, davinci_code

work computer

2006-06-09T10:57:00.000-04:00

if you've chatted with me anytime during the day while i've been at work, you will know that i have been very frustrated with my boss's computer monitor.
well...
it seems that somehow a virus got on the computer... she implied that i downloaded something that put it there, but i think it was there before i downloaded anything... at any rate... it messed up the display on the computer.
in trying to fix it, she bought a new monitor. yes! it's about twice the size of the dinosaur she had before, and it is in focus! it's so wonderful - i can actually see what's on the screen now!
i love technology...

angels & demons

2006-06-07T13:21:00.000-04:00

yeah, i just finished reading dan brown's angels & demons. i enjoyed reading the da vinci code so much, that i figured i may as well read his other ones. and i would say that i liked this one just as much, if not better... although the ending on this one was kind of difficult.
at any rate, it was good.
i know this isn't much of a review, but it really isn't meant to be. it's just a comment.

matchmaker

2006-06-06T23:27:00.000-04:00

have a look at jen's blog

she is such a good friend!

weather

2006-06-04T23:30:00.000-04:00

i am not sure about this weather.

is it hot? is it cold? is it rainy? is it sunny?

it seems to be all things at once.

technorati tags: weather

on the move

2006-06-03T20:52:00.000-04:00

after supper this evening, katya was downstairs playing on the computer and i was sitting with holly in the living room. i noticed that she was trying to move using her hands a bit more, and leaning forward off her butt.

i got down on the floor with her and offered one of her favourite chewy toys. and then, she did what we have been waiting for for months!

today holly crawled for the very first time!

hooray! she is almost 11 months old. i'm so proud of her.

technorati tags: crawling, baby

maybe this'll stick

2006-06-02T22:42:00.000-04:00

i just got so frustrated with that other template - as much as i loved it - that i decided to go for something altogether different. at least it was really, really pretty for one day.

NOW i don't plan on changing this for a while.

as you might note, i've also gone back to haloscan for comments. i haven't used it in a long time, but hey - change is good. or so 9 out of 10 dentists say.

technorati tags: haloscan, blog, templates

sorry

2006-05-31T23:29:00.000-04:00

it appears that the site hosting my blog template has exceeded their bandwidth. with any luck, it will be up and running properly again tomorrow (being the first of the month), and maybe i'll be able to locate the images and get them on my own host.

in the meantime, sorry for the stark whiteness.

something borrowed...

2006-05-30T10:29:00.000-04:00

this is my 'new look'. woot.

i like it. i hope you do, too... but if you don't, oh well, that's just too bad (haha) because i don't plan on changing it drastically any time soon.

yesterday i rode my bike to work. why do we say that, "rode my bike"? yet we say "drove my car". when you think about it, i mean really think, it should be "drove my bike" and "rode my car", because we are the motor which propels the bicycle, whereas we simply go along for the ride when the internal combustion engine propels the car.

oh man, this is too much for this early in the morning.

the heat must be getting to me.

snowbirds update

2006-05-25T21:35:00.000-04:00

i realized there were some technical difficulties with my snowbirds post (below). those have now been fixed, so please, visit the post again and watch BOTH videos as they should be!

cheers!

"too many chicken nuggets"

2006-05-25T20:59:00.000-04:00

so, after all the excitement of yesterday...

katya now has chicken pox.

not too badly, thank goodness - at least not yet. and that child has the highest pain tolerance of anyone i've ever met in my entire life, so even if she is in excruciating discomfort, she hasn't let on. she did mention once that it was a bit itchy. and she said she hates her chicken pox. that's about the closest she gets to saying it hurts.

she is being wonderful about it, of course. that kid is such a blessing! she's always been such an angel about stuff. i'm so glad God gave me her.

when we were discussing possibilities of how she may have got her chicken pox, we had several suggestions - did she walk into a chicken coop by mistake? did someone call her chicken?

that is when she said she knew why - it's from eating too many chicken nuggets!

snowbirds

2006-05-24T22:19:00.000-04:00

today i saw the snowbirds. finally. real Canadian culture. woot.

actually, it was a great show. it was at the st. thomas airport, and the whole shebang was a fundraiser for their new community centre.

i went after work. dad took katya earlier. i planned to meet them there.

of course, once i got there, i realized how virtually impossible that would be. there were probably at least a thousand people there. well, a few hundreds, anyway. there were lots and lots and lots of people, spread out over a very large area.

well, after about 10 minutes of very serious looking, who should i spy but... katya! hooray! yes, i actually found them.

the show was really remarkable. nobody crashed... but it was really, really good. (can i really use really any more times?)
after the show the snowbird pilots were available to sign autographs, so i got a poster signed for katya.

i took some photos and have included a couple videos i took as well, for your viewing pleasure.

charlatans @ the phoenix

2006-05-23T21:36:00.000-04:00

yeah, last night my friend lorna and i went to see the charlatans at the phoenix in toronto.

it was a great show. well, the charlatans were, anyway. the opening band... well.... hmmm.......

the opening band was called the blood arm. they're from california.
the band itself wasn't that bad, although the music seemed rather simplistic.
the 'lead singer', though, was something else. he couldn't exactly sing - or didn't sing, at any rate. he mostly just jumped around and shook his butt. it was less than impressive.

the charlatans, on the other hand, were most impressive.

as you can see from the set list to your right, they played a nice blend of new songs and old classics. and they sounded fabulous! i don't have the new album yet, but i now have every intention of getting my hands on it - either on cd or virtually.

lorna and i were standing right behind the sound booth, which was actually a very cool place. the sound and lighting people were short, so there were no tall people blocking our view. we had a place to lean on, and we weren't crowded.

we were also located at a good place to get the optimum sound, seeing as the sound people were listening to basically the same thing we were.

one thing i did learn, is that charlatans fans are not the most attractive people around. i think i saw two men there who were worth a second look, and most of the women either looked like sluts or else total losers. not a very encouraging situation, because lorna and i didn't look like sluts, so where does that put us?

oh well, the main thing is, the charlatans rocked. they sounded tremendous. and it was fun.

i was disappointed, however, that there were no sausage vendors outside the club after the show.

asparagus

2006-05-19T15:10:00.000-04:00

i hated it till about 2 years ago.

my ex-husband, to the best of my knowledge, still hates it.

my older daughter hates it.

my younger daughter, my baby, my 10-month-old.... loves it.

that is correct. holly loves asparagus.
i came home from work yesterday, to the sight of my mother feeding holly a spear of steamed asparagus. she started it as a lark - but holly gnawed away at it (she has no teeth) and, as it turned out, when gramma tried to take it away from her, she began to raise a fuss.

she wanted that asparagus, and don't you dare take it away.

after she finished sucking the insides out of the first spear, she started fussing to have some of the asparagus from my plate.

i gave her one. she ate all the little pointy bits off the tip, and then stuck the rest of it in her mouth.
i tried to fish it out, but she wouldn't open her mouth.
finally, i managed to wedge a finger into her mouth to get the chunk of asparagus out. i cut it into several small pieces.
i also made some cheerios available to her. she loves cheerios.

the asparagus got eaten before the cheerios.

technorati tags: asparagus, cheerios

so much for caffeine

2006-05-15T11:08:00.000-04:00

the most horrible thing has just happened.

i'm at work, and i am making myself a cup of coffee.
as i opened the brand-new bag of flavoured coffee which i recently purchased for myself, i noticed something on the label:

decaffeinated.

i'm stunned. how could i be so stupid? now what am i going to do?
i guess i'll have to grin and bear it. like the time i bought 'diet' juice with aspartame in it, instead of the real thing.

i must read labels more carefully.

angelic?

2006-05-11T22:04:00.000-04:00

angel food cake is evil.

technorati tags: angel_food_cake

my first last.fm post. woot.

2006-05-09T23:49:00.000-04:00

gonna see a show - whirligirl's Journal - Last.fm

technorati tags: lastfm

vino

2006-05-09T22:06:00.000-04:00

i am enjoying a glass of riesling. i always enjoy riesling. but this particular glass is very enjoyable.

i'm trying to figure out why.

my favourite riesling is usually inniskillin seeger old vines... it's fabulous. this one is also inniskillin - reserve, i believe it's 2001... it's a bit sweeter than the seeger, and it has a wonderful aftertaste of fresh grapes. it's just so pleasant, i'm very happy.

the funny thing is, i opened the bottle yesterday. it seems odd somehow that a white would be better on the second day. oh well, i'll take it!

today at work i read 'something borrowed' by emily giffin. i thoroughly enjoyed it. basically it's the story of a woman who had an affair with her best friend's fiance. not really the sort of story i would usually think i'd find so captivating - but it's very good. when i go to work on friday, i'm going to read the 'sequel', 'something blue'. as far as i can tell, it's the same story, but told from the best friend's point of view. i'm looking forward to it.

technorati tags: inniskillin, riesling, white, wine, something_borrowed, something_blue, emily_giffin

in case you were wondering

2006-05-04T23:07:00.000-04:00

i just thought i'd update you a bit on the job... not that there's any updating to do.

i get to sit on a couch all day and read books. occasionally a customer comes in and i get to sell them books.

this is one of the easiest, most enjoyable jobs i've ever had.

if i get bored of the couch, i can go sit at the table in the back. or, if i'm feeling really adventurous, i can go sit on the park bench out in front of the store, on the sidewalk. i can go online if i want. i can close up for a couple minutes to go get a snack at the cafe across the street.

and i have an entire store of books at my disposal.

and... i get paid for this.

technorati tags: bookstore, job, reading

first day on the job

2006-04-27T22:54:00.000-04:00

today was my first day at my new job at the book store. i think i'm going to enjoy it. it's very quiet and laid back... and i can read all day! today i read the da vinci code.

yes, the whole thing.

well, i finished it at home. at any rate, it's a very well written book. the story is well developed and suspenseful... yes, there are a number of things in there which i do not agree with, but the thing is - and this is something i learned while at university working on a master of theological studies - a lot of the stuff that is addressed, while not in agreement with what i believe, is actually true.

i enjoyed it.

the funny thing about it was this: i read the first page and thought, i've either read this before, or seen it on tv. as i got into the first chapter, it became clearer and clearer to me that i had read it before. then it dawned on me: i had bought it as an ebook and it is on my computer! while i was pregnant with holly and sat at the computer playing games online, i had my computer read it to me. but i had only made it through chapter 6.

today i got through the entire thing.

technorati tags: davincicode, davinci, book, bookstore, job

easter sunday

2006-04-16T22:19:00.000-04:00

so, this morning i went to church. there were testimonies and baptisms, which was good.

after the service, there was a light lunch (sandwiches and squares) at church. and after that, i met juner at kelsey's to celebrate her birthday (coming up later this week).

after that, i came home, and had a lovely supper with my parents. mom made a very nice meal for us for easter.

at about 7:30, my girls finally came home! they were happy to be home, and i was happy they were home. i missed them so much. katya did her egg hunt and had a great time with it! holly played with her toys - i think she missed them.

after some unwinding time, my girlies finally settled down enough to fall asleep - happily, in their own beds.

technorati tags: easter, egg, hunt, baptism, home

the past 24 or more.

2006-04-15T22:35:00.000-04:00

yesterday i went to church in the morning. it was a very good presentation. after that, we had a fabulous lunch... ham and scalloped potatoes, corn... and paska for dessert.

my girls were (and still are) with their dad, so i had no 'responsibilities' for the day. so i was expecting to have an incredibly boring and mildly depressing day. but my friend said they had some extra tickets for the raptors game...

so yes, i ended up going to the raptors game last night. it was very fun! i don't really get excited about basketball anymore, but it's always fun to go to a game, rather than just watching it on tv. and, what's more, the raps won - and they were playing detroit! so it was exciting, too.

this morning i got to sleep in till 9:30. incredible! it was wonderful. i got a phone call from the drugstore in town that katya won the easter colouring contest. i did some housecleaning, then after lunch, i went into town to pick up katya's prize (an adorable plush bunny) and then mom & i went to tillsonburg to do a little shopping. for supper we had lamb-burgers. yes, that's right - we had our easter lamb in burger format, thanks to president's choice. dad barbecued them. and they tasted fantastic! we'd bought some nice fluffy fresh kaisers to put them on, and i didn't even put any kind of condiments on mine. it was very enjoyable - even considering the source of the tender, juicy meat.

we watched a movie about the apostle paul tonight, and after that i hid all the chocolate eggs, since i don't know what time katya will be home tomorrow. mom & dad are going to hide the coloured eggs after they get home from church tomorrow.

the weather today was gorgeous. it was a good day for me, which is a very good thing, considering how gloomy i've been feeling these past few days... or weeks...

technorati tags: goodfriday, paska, raptors, toronto, colouring, contest, easter, sleepin, lamb, burgers, lamburgers, barbecue, paul, apostle, chocolate, eggs

almost easter

2006-04-13T21:36:00.000-04:00

tomorrow is good friday. i'll be going to church. my daughters will be spending the weekend with their dad. i won't see them again until sunday evening, probably.

katya and i coloured easter eggs today. we'll be doing her egg hunt on monday. she's cool with that. she'll probably get all sorts of treats at her dad's girlfriend's house, anyway.

so how am i going to spend easter? well, i'm going to church, of course. then i think juner & i will be going out for lunch. i'll give her her birthday card and present... the big day's coming up next week, but i hate hanging on to presents. i just love giving them. katya must have got that from me.

it will be a different sort of easter. last year, we still pretended we were 'family' and went to the extended family easter get-together. there is no easter get-together for my extended family this year. and i won't have my kids with me.

technorati tags: easter, family, church

blah

2006-04-08T23:15:00.000-04:00

i'm bored.

i come online every night. i usually have several people i will chat with on a regular basis. well, this entire week, i would say i spent less than an hour - total - chatting. my friends just haven't been online.

it's been a lonely week.

last night i took katya to see ice age 2. it was pretty funny. not quite the quality of the first one, but that's pretty much what you expect with a sequel (shrek was definitely an exception, there). she really enjoyed it - that was the main thing. i liked it too... there were some parts where i was really laughing out loud.

after the movie, we went to burger king (her request) and then came home. we talked to my parents for a bit, then katya walked away. about 10 minutes later i checked on her. the poor little girl was sound asleep in her bed, all tucked in... but still in her clothes.

i love both my girls so much. it's good to know i have them, even if my friends aren't around.

technorati tags: loneliness, iceage2, movie, burgerking

what's new

2006-04-06T21:43:00.000-04:00

i don't think i mentioned, for those of you who care... i did get my cell phone fixed and i have it back now. it works fine. and - fortunately - it was still under warranty, so i didn't have to pay a cent to get it fixed. hooray!

i went in to the book store today and met the owner. she & i really clicked... i think we're going to get along great, which is a very good thing! the shop looks really cool, and i'm so looking forward to working there. i'll be starting in may. it's just so amazing that it was so easy to get a job, when here i was searching all over the place. like mark often grumbled, it does seem that the good jobs always just drop into my lap.

one thing i have noticed, though, is that for the past week, the people i usually chat with online haven't been online. this makes me feel lonely... it's sad that my only social life is online. oh well, once i start working, and getting out of the house, i will meet more people.

technorati tags: bookstore, cellphone, messaging

the really cool thing about small towns

2006-04-05T12:49:00.000-04:00

so i was just getting ready for lunch today, when my parents' phone rang.

the woman on the other end was from the book store in port rowan (the very small town near which i live), which puzzled me a bit, since i'd never been in the store, let alone ordered anything from there.

well, she had been talking to the owner of the cafe in town. i had been in to see the cafe owner a few weeks ago, and talked to her about a job. i didn't give her a resume or anything... i just talked to her, because i sort of knew her.

the book store owner said that the cafe owner had mentioned that i was looking for a job. so she asked me if i could come work for her.

uh.... yeah!

i have never even met this woman before, let alone apply for a job at her store. she is going entirely on the word of the cafe owner.

so yes, this is the cool thing about small towns.

(not to mention, God is pretty cool, too, eh?)

technorati tags: job, book, store, small, town

alice

2006-04-02T21:34:00.000-04:00

today i went to an art exhibit opening in port dover. the work was done by my friend, neil klassen. it's all based on illustrations from lewis carroll's "alice's adventures in wonderland", and how they relate to growing up and losing innocence and stuff like that. they're tar paintings, which is really cool.

i am fortunate enough to have a painting by him which was commissioned by my parents. the coolest thing about it is that it was done especially with me (and my ex) in mind. my parents also own a small painting by neil, which he said was done during one of the best periods of time in his life.

if you're local, and you know where the lighthouse festival theatre is in port dover, i encourage you to go during the month of april to see his work. it really is fabulous stuff. neil is incredibly talented.

fine dining

2006-03-31T21:53:00.000-05:00

my girls are at their dad's for the weekend. this leaves me home and bored stiff, not knowing what to do with myself. i was thinking of going to a movie, but then my mom said she and dad would take me out for dinner to david's, a new restaurant in port dover. it was fabulous! mom and dad have been there five times already, since it opened last summer. that is a lot, for my parents.

in other 'news', my tattoo seems to be healing nicely. it is very uncomfortable, but i've been looking after it, and hopefully in another week it will be more or less good to go.

on wednesday this week i went to a new care group sponsored by my church, a support group for people going through separation and divorce. there is quite a diverse group of people there, but we all have one thing in common - at least one failed relationship. woo hoo - aren't we a fun bunch!

seriously, though, i think it will be a good thing. if nothing else, it has already reassured me that my situation certainly isn't really all that bad. and, of course, it will be a good support net for me when things do go bad, as they are bound to at some point.

and on monday, i took both girls to ikea. katya played in the ball room and holly and i went shopping. it was really fun. holly's a great shopper, and katya was so excited to play there - it's the main reason we went. however after her hour was up, she wanted to go through the store yet... i was too tired to do it again. so she was a bit disappointed about that. and also that on mondays they clean the ice cream machine, so she couldn't get an ice cream cone. but on the way home i stopped at a mcdonald's and bought her a cone, so she was really happy about that.

so in all, it's been a good week. tomorrow my mom & i are going to go shopping, sans kids. that will be fun. and on sunday, i get my girls back. i can hardly wait! even though they'd be in bed right now, i still miss them.

my needs and wants... according to google

2006-03-31T21:48:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine sent me this game. It's pretty fun; you may want to try it if you have some time on your hands.

These are my needs and wants according to Google.

Catharine needs a lobotomy.
Catharine needs your help!
Catharine needs Catharine
Catharine needs to go on an extended vacation from relationships.
Catharine needs to be one of the talent
Catharine needs To check your purity before I can authorize these points.
Catharine needs more time with her daughter.
Catharine needs them!
Catharine needs to arrange, like, a metric fuckton of Mary Kay parties in the next few days because she's trying to make director.

Catharine wants his love.
Catharine wants Nathalie to seduce Bernard and report back to her each week
Catharine wants to continue magic
Catharine wants to remove the top level of the dais to make the platform all on one lower level.
Catharine wants to have kid's of you will have your reasons and there visible to the naked eye.
Catharine wants to be remembered
Catharine wants to see you very much.
Catharine wants another one now.
Catharine wants to inentify herself with Heathcliff and not. someone else?
Catharine wants to learn how to read in order to learn her matins
catharine wants you to use it, connie!
Catharine wants to have some Nun from Maitland.
Catharine wants to stay another year.
Catharine wants to work in italy, so She is learning Italian.
Catharine wants to have a pleasant meal with You.
Catharine wants more
Catharine wants to shoot on that day.

I only compiled these. All these phrases all appeared as is with the search terms "catharine needs" and "catharine wants"

a day to remember

2006-03-26T22:01:00.000-05:00

today i did something new. it was a very interesting day. i shall tell you about it.

today my best friend juner and i went to a piercing & tattooing party. i imagine you will be able to read about it on her blog, too, at some point. but here's what i've got to say.

i was second in line to get my tattoo. i've never had one before, so i was a bit nervous. june was extremely excited about getting her tongue pierced, as well as a tattoo. she already has a tattoo, but no piercings, aside from her ears.

there was a guy who got some piercings before june got hers. when he was getting his eyebrow pierced, i started feeling a bit dizzy. it was very warm and crowded in the house. then june's turn came.

i was sitting down already, because i was a bit light headed. i'd had lunch (and breakfast), so i knew it was a combination of the excitement and the situation. it was obvious that the tongue piercing was incredibly painful for june. i found this somewhat distressing. shortly after her piercing was complete, she began to black out. once she fainted, i started getting really dizzy and almost blacked out, too... and then i puked (fortunately i made it to the bathroom in time). there wasn't any blood or anything that would make me feel sick - it was basically sympathy puking, just because of what she was going through.

after several minutes, both june and i were feeling better. once we'd both got our colour back (we are both quite pale to begin with), it was time for my tattoo.

i got it done on my lower back. the outline felt something like a very sharp knife. it hurt. some parts of my back were significantly more sensitive than other parts. filling it in wasn't too bad. except right on my spine. and in a couple of other spots.

i was originally going to get it done solid black, but the tattoo artist, ryan, said that was very boring and he'd rather do it in the gradient... so i went with the blue gradient, and i'm quite happy i did. everyone said that it looks awesome. it was hard for me to take a photo of it myself, but at least you get an idea.

oh yeah, i am NEVER going to get my tongue pierced.

the good and the bad

2006-03-15T22:36:00.000-05:00

so what do you want to hear about first?

we went to a birthday party today, and both my girls had a fabulous time
i won a coffee on the roll up the rim to win, finally!
i saw a shooting star tonight

that was the good stuff.

on the way to our friends' place, my mobile phone crashed. it does not work at all now.
i did not get the receptionist job.

that, obviously, was the bad stuff.

oh well.

technorati tags: job, phone

try again

2006-03-12T20:30:00.000-05:00

tomorrow at noon i go for another job interview. this one is for receptionist at a local law firm. now that is something i am well qualified for - as opposed to overqualified, i would think.

pray for me!

technorati tags: job, interview

dull and duller

2006-03-10T20:42:00.000-05:00

they should really come up with a movie with that title. the only problem is that nobody would go see it.

the movie would be a chronicle of my life at this point.

for the second night in a row, my parents are out, and i'm not. guess what - they're also going out tomorrow night. i don't have any plans for tomorrow. i'll probably just stay in and watch a movie. i really don't have any money to spend on going out anyway.

katya went to a birthday party today. i went to simcoe and applied for a job. then i went to zehrs. shoot, even my 5-year-old has more of a social life than i do.

oh well, i'm sure that at some point, all that will change. for now, i suppose i should just enjoy the time i have alone.

technorati tags: dull, boring

narnia

2006-03-05T22:03:00.000-05:00

yes, i loved it.

but we all knew i would. i've read the books so many times...

and, if you've seen the movie, you know it was phenomenally done.

aslan was really well done. and really, i did like his voice dones by liam neeson. because any movie with liam neeson is good.

i also thought it was interesting having tilda swinton as the white witch - killing aslan - especially after she played satan in the passion of the Christ. it just played a lot of neat parallels.

i'm very glad i got to see it on a big screen.

technorati tags: narnia, lion, witch, wardrobe, aslan, lewis, neeson, swinton

something old/something new

2006-03-04T20:57:00.000-05:00

no, this has nothing to do with weddings.

tomorrow i am planning on doing something that i haven't done in a very long time. so long, in fact, that it is like doing something i've never done before (except for the fact that i actually have done it before).

you're probably almost afraid to ask what it is i'm planning on doing.

i am planning on going to a movie.... ALONE!!!

yeah, i know, it's no big deal, really. but i haven't gone to a movie all by myself in about 15 years. it's almost like going on a roller coaster alone - not quite as much fun... but it's certainly no worse than spending new year's eve alone.

you're now probably wondering what movie i'm going to go see.

the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe.

yes, that's right. (1) it is still playing, in a second-run theatre and (2) no, i haven't seen it yet. i've been a huge fan of the books, though, since about grade 3... so i am really, really looking forward to it.

plus, i won't have to share my popcorn with anyone.

overqualified

2006-03-02T18:51:00.000-05:00

i didn't get the job i tried for. i think they figured i'm overqualified. that sucks.

i might still work at the insurance office, but only booking appointments for other agents. we'll see.

one of these days, things will work out well for me. in the meantime, i'll just hang in there - and enjoy the time with my kids.

technorati tags: work, interview, job, overqualified, kids

now what?

2006-03-01T23:37:00.000-05:00

so i'm officially done my insurance job.

i have not yet been hired to do anything else.

so now what shall i do?

well, i'll look after my kids. i'll knit, and crochet. i'll bake cookies and cakes and stuff. maybe i'll read a book or two. and i'll keep looking for a different job.

beyond that, i really don't have any plans.

any suggestions?

technorati tags: unemployed, mother, bored

all done

2006-02-28T22:31:00.000-05:00

tonight was my last night of being an insurance agent.

my first appointment was at 6 p.m. the family was just having supper. it wasn't convenient to meet with them just then. so i gave them their free stuff and left.

my second appointment was at 7 p.m. it was pretty obvious that the woman had forgotten i was coming. her oldest son was lying on a mattress in the living room. he had just gotten back from the hospital because he had broken his leg. she has hepatitis c. uninsurable. i gave her the free stuff and told her about the hospital benefits. and left.

my third appointment was at 8 p.m. i called at 7:30 to see if i could go there early. the guy had forgotten, as well, he was 'sick as a dog' and didn't want me to come. that was just fine with me.

so that was my last night of work. it was pretty representative of my whole career. woo hoo.

"i was looking for a job and then i found a job, and heaven knows i'm miserable now"

2006-02-27T20:39:00.000-05:00

so today i went for my interview.

there is no telling how i did. first i wrote a test on a computer. then the manager asked me some questions, to which he wrote down my answers. then i filled in some forms. the manager said he was going to forward everything to the head office, and someone would be in touch with me within two weeks.

crazy. i've never had an interview like that before. where the interviewer doesn't make the hiring decision. oh well.

after that, i went to the office.

while there, i decided that it just wasn't worth it.

so i left.

after i'd been home a couple of hours, my boss called, asking if i was going to come back in to book appointments. i told him, "no, i'm at home." he seemed somewhat surprised.

anyway, during the conversation, i quit. that's right. i had already decided that i would. so i did. very nicely, of course. and my boss (or ex-boss, i guess) said he'd give me a good recommendation and do whatever he could to help me get a more suitable job. so that's good anyway.

tomorrow night i have my last three appointments. then on wednesday i go in to the office to return all the forms and stuff that i've got.

and then that's it.

prospects

2006-02-25T21:26:00.000-05:00

on monday i'm going for an interview for a new job.

this particular job (which i'm not going to specify at this point in time, just in case i don't get it) is totally up my alley... and if i do get it (i think i've got a very good chance at it), those of you who know me will say, "of course, that job was practically made for her."

so if you're the praying sort, please pray for me that i'll get this job. because i really, really want it.

technorati tags: job, interview, pray

i am truly an idiot

2006-02-17T21:51:00.000-05:00

yeah, ok, don't argue with me about the title of this post until you've read it.

if you've been following my blog at all (in amongst the quiz results) you will know that i just very recently purchased a beautiful new car. before that, i had a car for just under a month before i totalled it. so when you read this, you will most likely ask yourself - what on earth was this woman thinking?

i will attribute it to the fact that i also very recently doubled one of my antidepressants (my doctor told me to) and it's having an effect on my reasoning ability.

i was on my way to an appointment not far from where i live. i have lived in this area pretty much all my life. yes, i did live away from here for a while, but this has been 'home base' and i grew up here. so i'm fairly familiar with all the roads. you would think.

on my way to this appointment, i figured i'd just follow the concession road all the way to the house.

i carefully checked for any signs that would say "road not maintained" or indicating a dirt road or hazardous driving conditions. (you are beginning to see where this is headed...)

there were NO signs that said anything that would indicate this was anything other than a safe road to drive on. there was a small sign that said "limit 5 tonnes". no big deal.

shortly down the road, the pavement turned to hard dirt with some gravel. no big deal.

a bit further on, there was an area with some nasty ruts. no big deal - i'm a country girl, i'm not afraid of a little rut here or there.

i drove past a branch lying on the road (if you want to call it a road at this point - it was resembling something more like a farm laneway). why did i not turn back at this point? i do not know. i figured, there was no sign saying it wasn't safe - this will pass, it will get better.

it did not.

it was quickly becoming a big deal.

i drove on.

the areas of nasty ruts became larger and more frequent. for some reason, i thought my new car was invincible.

it is not.

i bounced over some ridiculous excuse for a bridge and promptly got stuck in an enormous rut. my car would not move forward. my car would not move backward.

i was feeling very foolish. and scared.

why didn't i turn back when i saw it was a dirt road? it's a new car, for pete's sake! what was i thinking?

i do not know the answers to those questions.

i didn't dare tell my parents.

i called my appointment. i told him what had happened. i started crying.

he came with his 4WD truck and a shovel, and, to make a long story short, he, his wife, and i managed to unstick my car and finally get back off this pathetic piece of land they try to pass off as a road.

needless to say, i cancelled that appointment.

i went to the car wash and thoroughly bathed my poor sweet car. which, by the way, came through this ordeal unscathed.

and from now on, i will be much more selective in my choice of roads.

now, tell me, can you deny that i am truly an idiot?

technorati tags: driving hazards, road conditions, dirt road

olive you

2006-02-15T22:34:00.000-05:00

i really, really like olives.

to sleep... perchance, to dream...

2006-02-14T19:00:00.000-05:00

i'm not sure if that's quite exactly how the shakespeare goes... it's been so long...

at any rate, it's one of those days. i'm going to bed early. both my daughters went to bed early. i've had a crappy day from the get-go and it's just been blah from one moment to the next. it's 7 p.m. and i can't see things improving significantly, so i may just as well get some sleep.

i had a rather upsetting discussion with my manager/mentor/supervisor from work on the phone this morning, and i expect that i will be looking for something different to do soon. that's my choice, by the way, not his, so don't worry, i haven't been 'fired' or anything. i'm just not happy with my job. i've been trying to make myself happy with it, but it just wasn't working.

i went to my doctor today and he is increasing one of my antidepressants. they just weren't doing the trick. my mood swings were insane and my brain just wouldn't rest. i've been having trouble sleeping and my appetite hasn't been so great. i need to find a counsellor to go to.

katya isn't feeling well. poor thing. she just got up and had a bedtime snack. well, a little bit of apple juice and apple sauce. but not much. i think she had too many treats at school today. and i don't think she's been getting to bed early enough. and i think she's had far too much excitement the past few days, too.

i think i'd like to hibernate. i want to go to bed and not come out for three months.

technorati tags: sleep, sick, depression, antidepressants

what 2007 car should you drive?

2006-02-07T21:56:00.000-05:00

this one is frighteningly accurate... considering i just bought a saturn. hee hee.

You Should Drive a Saturn Sky

You're sleek and smooth, and you need a car to match your hot persona.

Besides, sometimes you want your top up - and sometimes you want it down.

What 2007 Car Should You Drive?

five factor personality quiz

2006-02-07T21:55:00.000-05:00

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion:

You have medium extroversion.

You're not the life of the party, but you do show up for the party.

Sometimes you are full of energy and open to new social experiences.

But you also need to hibernate and enjoy your "down time."

Conscientiousness:

You have low conscientiousness.

Impulsive and off the wall, you don't take life too seriously.

Unfortunately, you sometimes end up regretting your snap decisions.

Overall, you tend to lack focus, and it's difficult for you to get important things done.

Agreeableness:

You have high agreeableness.

You are easy to get along with, and you value harmony highly.

Helpful and generous, you are willing to compromise with almost anyone.

You give people the benefit of the doubt and don't mind giving someone a second chance.

Neuroticism:

You have low neuroticism.

You are very emotionally stable and mentally together.

Only the greatest setbacks upset you, and you bounce back quickly.

Overall, you are typically calm and relaxed - making others feel secure.

Openness to experience:

Your openness to new experiences is high.

In life, you tend to be an early adopter of all new things and ideas.

You'll try almost anything interesting, and you're constantly pushing your own limits.

A great connoisseir of art and beauty, you can find the positive side of almost anything.

The Five Factor Personality Test

superhero

2006-02-07T21:54:00.000-05:00

Your Superhero Profile

Your Superhero Name is The Grey Warrior

Your Superpower is Gadgets

Your Weakness is Toilet Paper

Your Weapon is Your Star Catapult

Your Mode of Transportation is Motorcycle

What's your Superhero Name?

luck and power

2006-02-07T21:51:00.000-05:00

You Are Balanced - Realist - Powerful

You feel your life is controlled both externally and internally.

You have a good sense of what you can control and what you should let go.

Depending on the situation, you sometimes try to exert more control.

Other times, you accept things for what they are and go with the flow.

You are a realist when it comes to luck.

You don't attribute everything to luck, but you do know some things are random.

You don't beat yourself up when bad things happen to you...

But you do your best to try to make your own luck.

When it comes to who's in charge, it's you.

Life is a kingdom, and you're the grand ruler.

You don't care much about what others think.

But they better care what you think!

The Three Dimension Luck and Power Test

what kind of food are you?

2006-02-07T21:36:00.000-05:00

You Are Chinese Food

Exotic yet ordinary.

People think they've had enough of you, but they're back for more in an hour.

What Kind of Food Are You?

what kind of soul are you?

2006-02-07T21:26:00.000-05:00

You Are a Visionary Soul

You are a curious person, always in a state of awareness.

Connected to all things spiritual, you are very connected to your soul.

You are wise and bright: able to reason and be reasonable.

Occasionally, you get quite depressed and have dark feelings.

You have great vision and can be very insightful.

In fact, you are often profound in a way that surprises yourself.

Visionary souls like you can be the best type of friend.

You are intuitive, understanding, sympathetic, and a good healer.

Souls you are most compatible with: Old Soul and Peacemaker Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

why being bored can be dangerous

2006-01-28T21:40:00.000-05:00

today i got my belly button pierced. it's something i've been thinking about for quite a while now, and i was actually going to wait till the summer, but i had a few spare minutes today and happened to find a reputable looking tattoo and piercing parlour, and they happened to have a few spare minutes during which they could poke a hole through my belly.

i'm quite pleased.

technorati tags: piercing, navel, belly button

i am... i am... i am superman... and i know what's happening

2006-01-28T21:35:00.000-05:00

Your results:
You are Superman
Superman
75%
Wonder Woman
70%
Spider-Man
70%
Supergirl
65%
Green Lantern
55%
Iron Man
50%
Robin
49%
Hulk
45%
Catwoman
40%
Batman
40%
The Flash
35%
You are mild-mannered, good,
strong and you love to help others.
Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

good for canada

2006-01-23T22:32:00.000-05:00

... or so it's looking at this point. i'm happy to see that, thus far, the conservatives are winning. in our riding, too... it was kinda iffy there, seeing as the liberal candidate was in office for 11 years until the conservative candidate won the last election. the liberal guy was trying to get back in, but it looks like our conservative lady is going to stay where she is. although it is close... we'll see yet, i guess.

other good news... after a couple weeks of not achieving anything at work, i finally got an enrolment today. i'm very happy, because that means i will have some income - a very good thing.

technorati tags: canada, election, conservative

ch-ch-ch-changes

2006-01-22T22:48:00.000-05:00

ok, so it's not a big change... but change is good. right?

so this, for now, is the 'new' look of my blog. it's pink.... ish...

but you probably already noticed that.

change, as i said, is good. i am expecting a lot of it in 2006.

oh goody.

technorati tags: change, pink, blog

daddy's not gonna pay for my crashed car

2006-01-08T13:51:00.000-05:00

as you can see from the lovely photo to your right, my new car is not in very good shape. before you worry too much, i will assure you that my children were not in the car with me at the time. thank God.

as for me, i came away from the accident with some very nasty bruises and a 2-inch gash to the head, which required 10 staples.

what happened? that's a good question. i can't remember everything perfectly, but the road was snowy and slippery, and the back end of my car went into a skid and pulled itself around, i spun across the road and across the ditch and into a hydro pole. so that's pretty much it.

so i had the car about 2 weeks... i just got the new cd player installed two days before...

a word of advice to everyone: please, please, PLEASE always wear your seatbelt. my air bags did not go off in this collision. if i hadn't been wearing a seatbelt, i would not be typing this blog entry right now.

happy new year

2005-12-31T19:33:00.000-05:00

mom dad are out... they're going to their church service, then after that to a party with all their friends. katya is doing some kind of craft in the back room while watching a 'learn to read' dvd. holly is asleep. i am sitting here with a glass of wine, with none of my 'regular' chatters online because they're all going to new year's parties...

it's nice, but at the same time, it's lonely. new year's eve is supposed to be time spent with those closest to you... i guess this is a true reflection of where i'm at in life right now. the people closest to me are my daughters, and they are only 'sort of' close, because they are just kids. i have good friends, but i'm not really close to anyone anymore. my life is pretty solitary.

i don't think i'm complaining. i mean, it probably comes across as complaining. i'm not entirely happy with my life right now, but all things considered, i'm really doing as well as i think can be expected. so i'm content. not happy, but content. so i'm not complaining.

i really do hope things are different this time next year.

technorati tags: new year's eve

so this is christmas...

2005-12-26T21:51:00.000-05:00

...or was. it was less than phenomenal, but it was nice. i got some nice presents, and had some good visits and good food. in all, a very quiet time.

katya was very excited about the whole thing. she's totally into the whole santa thing... she says that santa made jesus' birthday party, which is cool. she put out a snack for santa, and wrote him a letter and put it by the fireplace, and in the morning when it was all gone, she was so ecstatic - it was great. i swear, christmas was designed for five-year-olds.

now i go back to work tomorrow. life goes on. katya's away with her dad for a few days, so it's just holly and me... and my parents. woo hoo.

my new year's "celebration" will be even more low-key than christmas was. i will be home with my girls. i'm hoping my parents will get invited out to their friends'. i did get invited to some friends' in st. catharines, but i don't really feel like going. i just have a feeling it will be even more depressing than last year's new year's party was.

technorati tags: christmas, post-christmas, new year, party

o christmas tree

2005-12-13T23:18:00.000-05:00

What a marvelous person! You are the splendid
Christmas tree! You are a spirited person who
almost always in a great mood. Your smiles and
laughter are some things that people usually
look forward to in you. You are someone who is
full of energy and ready for a good time. Most
likely you are a social butterfly. All of these
characteristics make you a beautiful person
inside and out. People just really enjoy to be
around you. Merry Christmas =)

What Christmas Figure Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

odditorium

2005-11-30T23:28:00.000-05:00

today is wednesday. on saturday i am taking juner to see the dandy warhols (aka courtney taylor taylor's band). this is her christmas present. aren't we good friends to each other?

technorati tags: dandy warhols

ballyhoo

2005-11-18T22:23:00.000-05:00

listening to: make us blind - echo & the bunnymen

the lovely looking fellow to the left is ian mcculloch, for those of you who don't know. he's the lead singer of echo & the bunnymen, who my dear friend june is taking me to see in less than a week. i can hardly wait. i've already seen them 3 times; i believe that's how many - i can't remember exactly, which is crazy, i know, but the truth... my brain just doesn't work well with those sort of details. regardless, they put on a fabulous show - or, should i say, ian puts on a fabulous show. i just love watching him. and listening to him.

technorati tags: echo & the bunnymen

my life

2005-11-15T11:40:00.000-05:00

listening to: the rain outside

jen did this quiz, and it looked pretty neat (and fairly accurate) so i decided to try it, too.

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	6.9
Mind:	6.9
Body:	7
Spirit:	8.4
Friends/Family:	6.8
Love:	0
Finance:	6.1
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

Your Life Analysis:

Life: Your life rating is a score of the sum total of your life, and accounts for how satisfied, successful, balanced, capable, valuable, and happy you are. The quiz attempts to put a number on the summation of all of these things, based on your answers. Your life score leaves room for improvement. You can make changes to improve your trouble areas, and this will bring you greater satisfaction. Focus on your weakest points and set about to change them. Do not delay your happiness and success.

Mind: Your mind rating is a score of your mind's clarity, ability, and health. Higher scores indicate an advancement in knowledge, clear and capable thinking, high mental health, and pure thought free of interference. Your mind score is not bad, but could be improved upon. Your mental health is not weak, but you are not achieving full mental clarity and function. Learn how to unclutter your mind. Keep learning, keep improving, continue moving forward.

Body: Your body rating measures your body's health, fitness, and general wellness. A healthy body contributes to a happy life, however many of us are lacking in this area. You have a rather good body score, which is an indication that you take care of yourself. There is room for improvement, however. Please keep doing what works. Eat right, exercise, reduce your stress, treat any illness. Doing these things will help ensure your body will be in good working order for a long time to come.

Spirit: Your spirit rating seeks to capture in a number that elusive quality which is found in your faith, your attitude, and your philosophy on life. A higher score indicates a greater sense of inner peace and balance. Your spirit score is relatively high, which means you are rewarded by your beliefs. Spirituality is clearly important to do. Never let it slip, and continue to learn and grow.

Friends/Family: Your friends and family rating measures your relationships with those around you, and is based on how large, healthy, and dependable your social network is. Your friends and family score is not bad but can be improved. Maintain your current social net, while you try to expand it. Try new things and form new friendships. You will be rewarded greatly.

Love: Your love rating is a measure of your current romantic situation. Sharing your heart with another person is one of life's most glorious, terrifying, rewarding experiences. Your love score is very low, indicating trouble. If your marriage is not in good shape, consider which options can help you get back on the right track. This will bring you a tremendous life improvement.

Finance: Your finance rating is a score that rates your current financial health and stability. Your finances are somewhat in the middle, neither bad or exceptional. Keep doing what works for you, and improve what doesn't. Focus on long-term financial stability as your goal.

technorati tags: life rating, quiz

drumroll please....

2005-11-14T23:30:00.000-05:00

listening to: the hum of the cpu

i know you're waiting to find out, so here's a quick post:

66.4%
that is a pass (60% required)
so i get my life insurance license! hooray!

another interesting thing to note:
on my way home i drove through cambridge, where gas is 76.2 cents a litre. yes, i filled my tank.

technorati tags: gas price, life license, insurance

can't win for losing

2005-11-11T21:53:00.000-05:00

listening to: whatever lola wants - sarah vaughan

so, i went in to 'work' today, which is about 1 h 15 away from where i live. at 10 a.m. was review and prep for my exam on monday. it took about 2 1/2 h, so that wasn't so bad. i was planning on also picking up my certificate, which i require in order to write my provincial licensing exam on monday. the certificate was to be delivered to the office, guaranteed by 10 a.m.

well it wasn't there when i was done with the review session, but that wasn't such a big deal. i went to the mall, did a little shopping, had lunch. called the office - it wasn't in yet. i went and bought some gas, drove around a little bit, then went to the office. it was about 3 p.m.

certificate still wasn't there. i was very upset; started crying... but did my best to hide it (i don't think my best was quite good enough). i went out to my car for a bit. after i talked to my mom on the phone for a bit (i was feeling bad because i had intended to be home by the time katya got home from school and that obviously wasn't happening... but mom reassured me it was ok), i decided to go back into the office and study until the delivery guy came.

at 5 p.m. my 'supervisor' came to the door and said that it didn't look like it was going to happen. i was really, really ticked off at that point. but what could i do? i went home.

so, the certificate had better be delivered before 4 p.m. on monday - because that is the latest that i can make it there in order to get to the exam on time. you see... the city the exam is in is only a bit farther away from home than work is. however, the two cities are in opposite directions, practically. it really couldn't be more inconvenient.

i wish i could sue somebody.

technorati tags: frustration

happy birthday and other stuff

2005-11-07T23:45:00.000-05:00

listening to: the devil is in the details - boards of canada

today is katya's 5th birthday. hard to believe my baby isn't a baby anymore...

this weekend, holly (my current baby) was diagnosed with pneumonia. poor wee thing, she's not even 4 months old. she's had an awful go of it, but yesterday her fever broke and she was even smiling and playing a bit today.

technorati tags: pneumonia

which john cusack movie are you?

2005-11-07T23:42:00.000-05:00

listening to: ocean chorus/2nd chance - the echoing green

Your Life is Like

High Fidelity

What John Cusack movie are you?

technorati tags: John Cusack, High Fidelity

peanuts quiz

2005-11-03T21:53:00.000-05:00

listening to: brave new world - richard ashcroft

You are Schroeder!

Which Peanuts Character are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

technorati tags: peanuts quiz

finally!

2005-11-03T20:44:00.000-05:00

listening to: holly's swing

so i found out today, i got 66% on my certification exam - so hooray! i finally passed it. good thing, considering it was my last chance. now i have to write the provincial exam to get my licence... i'll be doing that nov. 14, so there is still lots of studying to do.

still, i'm glad to have finally got past that first hurdle. i've heard that the provincial is easier than the cert, so that is promising. however i'm not going to bank on that. but hopefully by the beginning of december i'll actually be making some money. and that i can bank on. haha

technorati tags: insurance test, llqp

a post for laro

2005-11-01T22:21:00.000-05:00

listening to: sick with the old fire - the high dials

Vampire finch

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

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The Vampire Finch, Geospiza nebulosa, is native to the Galapagos Islands.

It is closely related to the Sharp-beaked Ground Finch, the only significant difference being its diet. The Vampire Finch feeds primarily on the blood of the Masked Booby and Blue-footed Booby, pecking at the Booby's skin with their sharp beak until blood is drawn. Curiously, the Boobies will allow them to do this. It is theorized that this behavior evolved from the pecking behavior that the finch used to clean parasites from the plumage of the Booby. The finch also feeds on Booby eggs, stealing the eggs just after they are laid and rolling them (by pushing with their legs and using their beak as a pivot) into rocks until they break.

The Vampire Finch is sexually dimorphic, with the males being primarily black and the females grey with brown streaks. It has a lilting song.

The Vampire Finch is highly endangered, and is only found on Wolf Island. However the Vampire Finch along with it's other Finch relatives, forms an integral part of Charles Darwin's infamous and revolutionary theory of natural selection. Biologists often call the Finches, 'Darwin's Finches', as they are used as an example of how the decendents of one ancestor can evolve into several species as they adapt to different conditions. Darwin is now recognised as the man who provided the foundations for the entire structures of modern biology.

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cell phone vs. landline

2005-11-01T13:21:00.000-05:00

listening to: the main thing - roxy music

i totally 100% agree with this one!

Ditching the home phone by ZDNet's John Carroll -- Home phones are getting replaced by mobile phones, but home phones still have advantages. Here's a proposal to bringing those advantages to the mobile world.

technorati tags: cell phone, cell vs. landline

blue jays

2005-10-29T09:59:00.000-04:00

listening to: friendship - sloan

this has nothing to do with baseball.

i am sitting at the dining room table. there is a large picture window in front of me. it is a beautiful, sunny, cool autumn day.

enjoying this lovely weather outside the window are two gorgeous, big blue jays. they are feasting on peanuts and sunflower seeds that my father and daughter put out for them.

this lovely blue, gray, white and black bird sits on the edge of the flower box, picks up a seed in his beak, holds it down between his feet, and and hammers it with his beak until he cracks the shell. then he shakes his head so the shell flies away and he swallows the seed. then the other jay comes by, chases the first one away, and repeats the same process.

what beautiful birds. what amazing colours.
God is pretty cool, to make neat stuff like that.

i don't think i'll let my cat out today.

technorati tags: blue jay, birds, bird watching